Virginia GOP's Boucher/Perriello Attack Ad Backfires

The Virginia GOP got all red in the face when Mexican President Felipe Calderon came to give a speech to Congress and recommended a ban on assault weapons, which subsequently led to Congressional Democrats breaking into spontaneous applause. And so they cut a couple of ads, attacking Representatives Rick Boucher (D-Va.) and Tom Perreillo (D-Va.) for their approval of Calderon's remarks. "Call Tom Perriello/Rick Boucher and ask him if he stood up for Felipe Calderon...or if he stands for the Second Amendment," suggests the ad.

Sensing a blockbuster investigative opportunity, the Ticket did its due diligence and called both offices (as requested by the commercials and the party chair) to find out if they gave Calderon a standing O.

The suspense lasted for about 30 seconds. Nope.

Making it even less suspenseful and infinitely more boring, neither congressman were even there. Yawn.

"I did not attend the speech," Rep. Boucher told The Ticket. "I oppose gun control. And my opposition to gun control has resulted in the National Rifle Assn. endorsing my reelection."

And then Perriello's press secretary furnished Orr with a letter Perriello wrote to President Obama opposing any "plan to reinstate the assault weapons ban."

So that's the story of how the Virginia GOP went out of their way to burnish their opponents' bona fides with Virginia's gun owners by mistake.